Two Israeli women were killed and a third was gravely injured when an attack occurred on a road near the West Bank town of Hamra, according to Israeli sources. The incident is being treated as a possible terrorist attack and is under investigation by security forces.
Emergency responders from Magen David Adom reported that the three victims were involved in a traffic incident that has raised questions about the motives behind the event. The authorities indicated that the scene involved both an Israeli vehicle and a Palestinian vehicle and that paramedics provided life-saving care to the injured woman before she was transported to a hospital in Jerusalem for further treatment.
The two sisters, both in their twenties, died at the scene, while the 45-year-old mother received medical attention for serious injuries. The family had been residents of the settlement of Efrat, located near Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on the incident and planned to consult with security advisers in the coming hours to determine next steps and assess regional security implications.
Officials described the attack as a terrible act of violence that struck during Passover. They condemned the violence and stressed that terrorism, in any form, poses a direct threat to civilians. Community leaders emphasized the need to pursue those responsible, while cautioning against broadening the conflict beyond its immediate actors.
The preliminary MDA report noted that two women in their twenties were declared dead at the scene, and the surviving 45-year-old woman, who was traveling with them, received emergency medical treatment and was admitted to Hadasa Hospital in Jerusalem in serious condition.
Witnesses at the scene described seeing an Israeli vehicle and a Palestinian vehicle with multiple injuries. Paramedics stated that two young women were pulled from the vehicle in a lifeless state, without a pulse, and unable to breathe. Medical teams provided on-site care before the bodies were transported to hospital facilities for further examination.
Military officials, initially reporting the incident as a traffic accident involving a Palestinian and an Israeli vehicle, later revised the assessment. They noted numerous bullet holes in the Israeli vehicle and concluded that the event was an armed attack rather than a simple collision.
Security forces responded quickly, with troops sealing roads in the region as they conducted a manhunt for those responsible. The investigation continues as authorities gather evidence from the scene and review nearby surveillance footage.
tension escalation
The incident fits into a broader pattern of rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The week has seen rapid exchanges of fire involving Palestinian militias in the Gaza Strip and in southern Lebanon, following clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem earlier in the week.
While no Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for this attack on the three settlers, competing rhetoric from regional actors has intensified the atmosphere. In responses to ongoing violence, some voices have described the situation through the lens of escalation linked to the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the affected communities.
Reports indicate that more than 60 rocket shells from Gaza and 36 from Lebanon have been launched toward Israeli territory since the start of the week, with Israeli forces responding by targeting sites associated with Palestinian movements in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanese territory. Officials stress the need for careful, measured actions to prevent further harm to civilians.
In parallel developments, tensions remain high in the occupied West Bank. Earlier in the day, another armed incident involved an Israeli soldier who sustained minor injuries. The events unfold amid a period of heightened religious observance and continued political sensitivity around movements in and around Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem is navigating a particularly tense context, coinciding with Passover and the intersection with Ramadan and Good Friday. Large crowds attend prayers at Masjid al-Aqsa, while security services monitor gatherings and maintain crowd control to reduce potential clashes.